This invention relates to fluid contact apparatus and more particularly to a bubble tray and cap assembly for use in absorbers, rectifiers and apparatus of this general type. Such apparatus are used, for instance, in the petroleum, petrochemical, and chemical industries for bringing gases and/or vapors and liquid into intimate counter-current contact.
Known tray and cap assemblies are subject to one or more serious objections which greatly limit their usefulness. Such constructions show a lack of uniform and efficient performance, and others are complicated in details and require a large expenditure in time and labor to secure parts to the trays and, in addition, are often also deficient in performance.
Fluid contact apparatus or towers are provided with a series of trays which are usually equally spaced apart. The tower is vertically, and the trays therein are horizontally, arranged. Each tray has a multiplicity of flow passages for providing substantially uniform distribution of an ascending fluid and a descending liquid, and thorough mixing of said fluid with said liquid. Intimate contact and thorough mixing of the ascending fluid and the descending liquid have great importance in operations, such as fractional distillation of fluid mixtures, absorption of gases in liquids, stripping of volatile components from liquids, and similar procedures.
The referred to caps coact with the liquid-supporting trays to control the flow of vapors and/or gases upwardly through the trays, while the liquid flows downwardly, to bring the fluids in contact with each other, and to cause the ascending fluid to be thoroughly mixed with the liquid supported by the trays, thus effecting heat exchange and mass exchange actions between the fluids.